Hormones are chemicals which are produced and secreted by endocrine glands in the body. Hormones are given out into the bloodstream which travel to other parts of the body where they bring about specific responses from certain cells. The steroid hormones are obtained from cholesterol and are lipid-soluble in nature. Sex hormones (androgens, estrogens, and progesterone) produced by male and female gonads and hormones of the adrenal glands (aldosterone, cortisol, and androgens) are examples of steroid hormones.
The steroid hormone action mechanism can be summarised as follows:
Steroid hormones move through the cell membrane of the target cell.
The steroid hormone combines with a specific receptor in the cytoplasm.
The receptor-bound steroid hormone travels into the nucleus and binds to another specific receptor on the chromatin.
The steroid hormone-receptor complex calls for the production of messenger RNA (mRNA) molecules, which code for the production of proteins.